To Lose a Friend
by DrMaggieXD
Summary: Lil' 7 year old Garu met a strange person who won't talk to him, but turned out to be a really nice guy. But sometimes one little mistake can put a permanent scar on the frindship of two best friends...
1. Meeting

"Hahaha!" laughed Garu as he strolled on top of a hill. He was enjoying the tall grasses and the pretty flowers that grew there. To him, this was the best spot to relax.

"Good morning, Mr. Sun!" said the 7 year old boy as he stretched his arms forward, facing the sun.

"Ow, too much bright light!" he complained. Then turned towards the sun again. "Bad Mr. Sun!"

His pigtails were bouncing with every step he takes. He smiled the smile that would make a little baby smile with him too. Yes, he was the ideal boy every parent would want to have.

"Hmm, maybe I could play some hide and seek!" he muttered to himself. "But, who would I play with?"

Just then, a figure appeared beneath his favorite hill. It was a figure of a little girl.

Garu became excited.

"Maybe she could play with me!" he said happily, while running downwards with his hands positioned like the wings of an airplane.

The very second he reached the foot of the hill, he realized:

"I am the son of a ninja! I can't play with girls! Yuck" he said in a cute way, and stuck out his tongue.

But he was no ordinary boy. He is the kind who would make friends with everybody, even an empty trashcan.

So, he ran towards the 8 year old girl.

"Hey Missy!" he called out. "You wanna play?"

Just then, the girl turned around.

Garu looked closely at the girl.

The girl stared angrily at him.

"What?!" asked Garu. "I just want to make friends with you!"

Half her face was covered up by a collar. A very big collar. She pulled the collar down, in time for Garu to realize that she wasn't even a she.

"You're a boy!" he marveled. His eyes twinkled like 2 newborn stars. "Sorry 'bout that, I really thought you were a girl… well, because of the teenie ponytail you have…"

His companion merely nodded, and put his collar back to his mouth.

"Hey buddy", said Garu. "Wanna play hide and seek?"

The kid's eyes showed him that he was smiling. Which means the kid agrees.

"Cool! I'll be it, and you hide!" said Garu in his playful tone. He headed towards a tree, and started counting.

"I'll count from 1 up to 20. 1…2…3…"

The kid looked nervously at his surroundings. Where could he hide? All he saw was a big hill, and a tree. The same tree Garu was using.

"4…5…6…"

He ran so far from the tree, and saw a tiny hut. The kid quickly went in.

"7…8…9…"

Then he realized that it would be an easy target. He had to find another place.

"10…11…12…"

He ran towards Garu, and panicked even more once he heard the number '10'.

"13…14…15…"

The kid ran all the way to the back of the hill, and crouched.

"16…17…18…"

And realized that it was still an easy hiding place. He ran towards the tree.

"19…20…!"

And ended up just behind Garu.

"Ready or not, here I come!" shouted the little boy. He was shocked to see a rather embarrassed kid behind him.

"Whoa! You're still here?" he asked with curiosity. "Hmm, maybe you're not so good in hiding."

The kid nodded.

"Why don't we try another game?" asked Garu.


	2. Playing

The kid nodded again.

"Cool!"

Garu has never felt like this in his whole life. In fact, there were a very few kids in his village, and he never had a friend about his age too.

"So, what game would you suggest, buddy?"

The kid just stared at him.

They stood silent for about 20 seconds. Then…

"OH! I get it! You want us to play 'staring contest'"

With that, he sat down hard. The kid did the same. And they started the contest.

The kid looked directly into Garu's eyes. And little Garu did the same to the kid. (what else could I say?)

After 5 seconds, Garu gave up.

"Wow, you're good!" marveled Garu. He can't help but babble about how cool that game was.

The kid simply listened. It was his first time to have a friend too. And he didn't want to lose this one.

After minutes of babbling, Garu suggested they try another game.

The kid, as usual, nodded in agreement.

"Gee, you're a silent one. Do you talk?"

He just stared, and never said anything.

"Oh well. I'm having fun anyway."

Garu put on his 'in deep thought' look. He tried thinking of another game.

"Hey!" he finally said. "Do you know how to play tag?"

The kid nodded and smiled.

"Cool! Let's play tag. But we'll add a twist. Let's play ninja tag!"

His companion just looked at him like he was on drugs.

"You know, ninja tag. The one where we get to jump on bamboos and stuff? Except that we're gonna use these skills to tag someone."

The kid nodded in agreement, as if he understood.

"Okay, in this game, I'll be it!" shouted Garu.

Before he even said the last word, the kid already sprung up with his little ninja feet.

"Whoa! You're good!" said Garu as he followed his friend.

The kid jumped atop lots of tall bamboos, and was slowly getting farther away from town. Garu didn't mind. He had to TAG someone!

"I'm gonna get ya, buddy!" he shouted as he followed the kid.

He was getting closer until he noticed that he was nowhere near town.

And then he stopped.

"Hey! Kid!"

The kid turned around and quickly went to a halt.

And lil' Garu tagged him.

"Tag! You're it!" he shouted in front of him.

Garu laughed so hard, and the kid smiled to show how happy he is to finally have a friend.

Then they jumped off the really tall bamboos and hit the ground in a ninja way.

"That was fun!" cried Garu. "Let's do it again – "

Then he realized that was in terrible danger. Both of them ended up in a very dark and evil place. The lair of the dark beast.

"Oh no…" cried Garu. He looked at the kid with tears in his eyes. "Let's get out of here!"

But before Garu could even finish his sentence, the earth shook and rumbled.

It was too late.

And both boys knew it.

Garu babbled random stuff due to fear.

"Eggs, cocoa, mermaid, bracelet, fish, balloon, helium, bottle, air, sword ninja…"

But then the kid tapped him on the shoulder. At least that calmed him down.

"Did you know that the beast eats live human souls?" said Garu in a frightened voice.

Suddenly, the earth cracked open, and hot lava poured out.

And then came the beast.

He was an ugly figure. It was part wolf, part hunchback, part frog, part bull, part man… part everything. And he was hungry.

He went in front of both boys, and carried Garu with nothing but two fingers. Ugly fingers.

"You would make a good dinner…" said the beast in a dark and scary voice.

Garu was about to cry.

But the kid fought the beast.

"Take this!" he said, for the first time.

Then the kid gave him a few punches, which did no harm on the beast. Well, until he got to the private part…

That made the beast throw Garu to the ground. Once he realized that he dropped his dinner, he quickly ran to him, but someone blocked the way.

The kid stood right between the monster and the battered Garu. And he said…

"If you'll touch him, you'll regret you ever did live!"

Just then, the beast showed him his sharp claws and scratched the kid on his face…

"AAAAARGH!"

The kid touched his face and saw blood coming out…

The wicked scratch on the face made a big 'x' between the kid's eyes… but he didn't mind. He had to save his friend.

Garu thought quickly. He RAN from the place, using his two lil' ninja feet. And he never looked back.

"Sorry, buddy…" he cried as he left the place.


	3. Mistake

He arrived home late, and his parents were worried about him. And Garu knew it.

He slowly stepped inside the house…

"GARU!" and heard various sighs of relief.

"Oh my son!" exclaimed his dad. "I thought you got lost!"

Garu just stood there, emotionless.

"What's the matter son?" asked his mom. "Is something wrong? You never acted this way before…"

"Dad…", he finally muttered. "Can I have the vow of silence, right now?"

"Er… yeah… but why?"

"Nothing. Just please… perform the ninja ritual tomorrow morning…"

"Okay son. Whatever you want."

6 years later…

"Garu, I challenge you to SPAR!" shouted Abyo.

Garu didn't say a thing, just smiled, and leaped up and took position.

"Hi-Ya!!" screamed Abyo, as he took of his shirt. But Garu was already near to take offense.

He kicked him hard, and Abyo went down. Ching kept on cheering.

"A-B-Y-O! What does it spell? Abyo!"

Pucca was just smiling at Garu. But she had the urge to kiss him. So she did.

Once she did that, Garu made a face.

And suddenly, from a tall tree, came Tobe and his ninjas.

"Well, well, well. Looks like Garu and his friends are having fun. To bad I have to spoil it! Ninjas, attack!"

All his ninjas leapt up, and charged.

But Pucca was too strong for them.

All she did was punch them, and they went flying in the air.

Same happened to Tobe.

"I'll be back for my vengeance!!" he screamed as he went high up into the sky.

They stared at the sky for a full 10 seconds.

Then…

"Why does that guy want vengeance anyway?" asked Abyo. What did Garu ever do to him?"

"I don't know", said Ching. "Why don't you ask Garu himself?"

But Garu continued to stare at the sky. He was still emotionless. And he wondered if he did deserve Tobe's vengeance.

And Pucca kissed him on the cheek, which comforted him a lot.


End file.
